The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-26
THE TRACKS ooveaeoy

Responsibility OF the Republican Party.
Our esteemed contemporary, the Albany
Argus, hos not yet explained to It's readers why
tho Democratic Administration has neglected
10 b:ing action against the Republicans who
have robbed the Government while they were
In office. The Argus charged that the Govern.
ment, under the Republicans, was 'muss OF
fostering corruption" 1t asserted that millions
OF dollars we're stolen and TINT there were hun
dreds OF defalcations. Its charges were SO clear
ana specific that 1t was asked why the guilty
men were allowed to go unpublished. Since
then the Argus has dropped the subject. This
Is singular action.-7roy Telegram.
The Argus dropped the subject pre-
cisely because It had given 1t the fullest
and most exhaustive consideration,
and, when accused of glittering gener-
alities, replied by what our esteemed
contemporary in Troy justly terms
clear and specific charges. There was
nothing more to be said on the subject.
But the Telegram is surprised that the
filled itself to the task of hunting down
the public plunderers and furnishing
them for their rascality, and it regards
the silence of the Argus, in not ex-
planning this matter, as singular ac-
Hon. Nothing singular about it. The
first duty of the Democratic Admins
tration was to purify the public service
from the corruption with which nearly
quarter of century of Republican
rule had poisoned it. This was task
that called for all the time and ener-
gies of the Administration.
c,1o - TI,,s@
officials during the Administrations of
Presidents Grant, Hayes and Arthur,
rs compiled from the public records,
show that $12, 1898. 48 were stolen
from the Government, and this does
not include the money stolen under
the whisky-ring frauds, star-route
frauds, Post-office Department defalca-
tons, Burnside's frauds. Howgate's
frauds, the Naval Medical Bureau
frauds, or the defalcation of the dis
bursting clerk of the State Department.
Those frauds extended over con-
siderable period. Some have been in
vestigated under Republican Admins
Iration, but the guilty men were, in
the most important instances, allowed
to go unpunished. Dorsey and Brady
were lucky in this respect.
1t is easy to speak of furnishing those
rascals by due process of law, but next
to an impossibility to corner them SO
rs to obtain Il conviction. The ramifi-
cations of their schemes were so widely
extended and involved so many in
,erests that, like the spider, they felt
secure within the web of their own
weaving. They covered up their tracks
without difficulty, since they had high
officers of the Government to shield
them. Investigation after investiga-
ton was called for in vain, or, when
responded to, was so bun glingly man.
aged that no satisfactory results were
attainable. The only result was tc
cause the rascals to be more cautious
and to destroy, as far as possible, the
legal proofs of their infamy.
At the time when they might hav {
been punished for their misdeeds, the
Republican Administration refused to
do so. Now that the necessary proofs
are in many cases no longer attainable,
witnesses spirited away or documents
missing, the Democratic Administra-
ton is called upon to punish the delin.
quencies and defalcations Of Republic
an office holders. We recall to the
attention of our esteemed contempo-
rary the case of Surgcon-General Wales
and the correspondence between Secre-
tary Chandler and the lamented Mr..
Hendricks in the summer of 1884.
Mr.. Hendricks thus alluded t.
Chandler's connection with this case.
''For the Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery the defalcation is large, but the
more serious fact is that it could and
did extend through two Administra.
tions of the department, period ol
nearly four years, without detection.
You testified that some inquiry
was made, and the conclusion
was, that while there were sus-
picious circumstances, they did not
warrant conclusion of guilt. After d
notice, verbal and in writing, you left
the men in office. You did not bring
the frauds to light nor the guilty par.
ties to punishment. What is your next
excused Worse, if possible, than be-
fore. You say large number Of Con
;gressmen recommended that the head
of the bureau, DR.. Wales, should be re
appointed. Members of Congress knew
nothing of the frauds; they had no op
portunity to know. 1t was within
your reach and power. But DR.. Wales
was not one of the three guilty rogues.
He neither forged the vouchers mol
embezzled the money. His responsi.
bility in the case is just the same as
your own. He was the official superior
of the three rogues. as you were OF
himself as we'll rs of them. Neither he
nor yourself exposed the frauds nor
punished the parties"
This is but a single instance of th'
unwillingness of high officials under
the Republican Administration to brins
dcfaulters and swindlers to Justice
Er Wno disco oansscs. So secure did thu
gang of rascals who so long fattenet
upon the Government feel in their long
immunity from punishment, by the
strong grip they held on those who
might have brought them to justice
that they did not realize for a long tim'
the consequences of the change from
corrupt to an honest Government t
When they did realize they formed ,
= ''combine" against Mr.. Cleveland ant